Apparatus for continuously winding thread onto bobbins

ABSTRACT

Thread can be wound onto a first bobbin and then, without interruption, onto a second bobbin, by providing a threadengaging member adjacent to the second bobbin to hold a bight of thread stationary relative to that second bobbin, as it is rotated to begin positive winding of the following continuous thread portion. The thread-engaging member is a ring having a core smaller than the inside diameter of its adjacent hollow core bobbin and a resilient annular portion carried between the ring core having an outside diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of the empty bobbin. The annular portion is deformable for sliding a filled bobbin axially over the resilient portion; and, when the bobbin is removed, such portion resumes its original shape. The resilient annular portion may be flexible bristles for catching a bight of thread pulled across it or may be a perforated hollow ring connected to a suction source.

United States Patent [191 Landwehrkamp May 28, 1974 APPARATUS FORCONTINUOUSLY WINDING THREAD ONTO BOBBINS Hans Landwehrkamp, Gerolfing,Germany Schubert & Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft,lngolstadt, Germany Filed: .Nov. 29, 1972 Appl. No.: 310,223

Inventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 27, 1971 Germany 2164784 US. Cl242/18 A, 242/18 PW, 242/27 Int. Cl B65h 54/02, B65h 65/00 Field ofSearch 242/18 A, 18 PW, 27, 25 A,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,339 9/1942 Daniels 242/18 AUK 3,523,651 8/1970 Negishi 242/27 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,412,096 8/1965 France 242/18 A Great Britain 242/18 PW Great Britain242/18 A Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Attorney, Agent, orFirm-R, M. Van Winkle; Van Winkle R. M.

[57] ABSTRACT A smaller than the inside diameter of its adjacent hollowcore bobbin and a resilient annular portion carried between the ringcore having an outside diameter at least as great as the outsidediameter of the empty bobbin.

' The annular portion is deformable for sliding a filled bobbin'axiallyover the resilient portion; and, when the bobbin is removed, suchportion resumes its original shape. The resilient annular portion may beflexible bristles for catching a bight of thread pulled across it or maybe a perforated hollow ring connected to a suction source.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WINDING THREADONTO BGBINS The present invention relates to a thread bight catchingdevice adjacent toa bobbin to hold a thread portion stationary relativeto the bobbin and thereby facilitate positive control of the initialbobbin winding operation.

In many textile machine applications, continuous productivity depends onthe ability to wind a continuous thread sequentially onto individualbobbins without interruption. To achieve such continuous operation, abight of thread must be restrained relative to an empty bobbin as it isrotated to begin winding of thread onto it and/or to prevent stretchthread or yarn being placed in tension. Two examples of applications ofsuch thread-catching devices are used for winding stretch yarns ontobobbins or for winding thread continuously produced by open end spinningmachines.

In British Pat. No. 1,139,695, it has been suggested that two hollowcore bobbins be axially aligned horizontally in spaced relationship. Thethread-winding guide is then transferred upon filling of one bobbin toguide the thread for winding onto the second bobbin, withoutinterruption of the thread feed. In order to catch and hold firmly abight of thread between the adjacent spools, a toothed ring is providedfor each bobbin and is mounted on the bobbin carrier. However, in orderto permit the filled bobbin to be removed from its carrier, the bobbincore must pass over the toothed ring, so that the ring is limited to anoutside diameter no greater than the inside diameter of the bobin core.Consequently, the ring has no portion extending into the path of thethread, as it extends between the filled bobbin and the outer surface ofthe adjacent unfilled bobbin. The result is that the interbobbinspanning thread bight is not caught and arrested by the toothed ringautomatically and reliably.

Another means for grasping thread so that it will be positively woundonto an empty bobbin, is to provide special bobbins having athread-holding covering on the thread-winding surface, as disclosed inGerman Offenlegungsschrift Pat. No. 2,] 10,082. Such special bobbins areexpensive to manufacture, and have the disadvantage of collecting fibersor thread clippings, which collection shortly coats or clogs thecovering, so it loses its thread-grasping capability. Frequent cleaningof such coverings is necessary, which is time-consuming, and thecovering is easily damaged by brushing or manual scraping of theaccumulated debris. I

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a simpleeffective thread-catching device which reliably assists winding threadtransferred from a filled bobbin to an empty one.

Another important object is to provide such a device which does notinterfere with the axial doffing of bobbins.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a thread-catchingmember on each bobbin carrier having its minimum outside diameter equalto the outside diameter of bobbins to be placed on the carrier. Theperiphery of the thread-catching device is resiliently flexible, atleast throughout the region from its periphery inward to the insidediameter of the hollow core bobbin. Preferably, the thread-catchingdevice is a brush having a cylindrical rigid core smaller than-thebobbin hollow core and resilient bristles extending from the coreoutward a distance such that the bristle tips define a ring having adiameter'at least as great as the outside diameter of the bobbin. Thebristles may extend radially outward to simplify manufacture of thethread-engaging device. However, a more positive grip on the threadbight extending from the adjacent filled bobbin is effected if thebristles are inclined from radial lines cutting the bristle roots, sothat the bristle tips project forwardly in the direction of rotation ofthe bobbin carrier. Alternatively, instead of bristles, a hollowresilient perforate ring could be provided, the interior of such ringbeing connected to a suction source creating an airstream for drawing anadjacent thread bight into engagement with the resilient ring. Thethread-catching member is mounted on the bobbin carrier byquickly-releasible fastening means to facilitate removal andsubstitution for cleaning.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a bobbin carrier, on which is mounted athread-catching member in accordance with the present invention, partsbeing broken away.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of one type of threadcatching member, andFIG. 3 is a similar view of a modified thread-catching member.

FIG. 4 is an axial section through a filled bobbin partially removedfrom its carrier.

FIG. 5 is an axial section through a bobbin carrier, including amodified form of thread-catching device, with parts broken away.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of a different type of bobbin carriershowing a thread-catching member in section.

Referring to FIG. 1, a bobbin carrier I receives a hollow core bobbin 2,which bobbin is rotated by frictional engagement with a drive roller 3.The core 4 of a thread-engaging brush having bristles 41 is connected toone end of bobbin carrier 1 by a screw 5. Alternatively, core 4 could beconnected to carrier 1 by a snapengageable plug-and-socket connectionfor more rapid removal of the thread-engaging member 4,41. Bristles 41extend outward from core 4 a sufficient distance so that the bristletips form a ring having an outside diameter at least as great as theoutside diameter of the bobbin, and such bristles may project beyondsuch bobbin diameter.

Bristles 41 may project radially from the core 4, as shown in FIG. 2.Alternatively, inclined bristles 42 may be provided on core 4 as shownin FIG. 3, such bristles being inclined relative to radii of the core sothat the bristle tips project forwardly in the direction of brushrotation. It has been shown experimentally that the member 4,42 moreeffectively catches a bight of thread passed over it than does theradial bristle member 4,41. It is preferred that bristles 41 are naturalbristles to minimize abrasion of the thread and to avoid creation ofelectrostatic fields. Instead of natural bristles, bristle-likeprojections of resilient plastic, rubber or other resilient materialcould be mounted in the brush core.

While'the size of the brush core relative to the radial projection ofthe bristles is not critical, the core must be inscribable in a circlehaving a diameter sufficiently shorter than the inside diameter ofbobbin 2 so that the bristles are of sufficient length to bendresiliently in a direction axially of the core. Therefore, the bobbincan be slid from the carrier and over the bristles without across andbending brush bristles 41,

permanently deforming the bristles into such a bent position.

After a bobbin aligned with, but spaced from, a bobbin 2 is filled, thefollowing portion of the thread is transferred from the adjacent end ofsuch filled bobbin, across the bristles of the thread-catching member4,41, to the adjacent end of the empty bobbin 2 by a conventional threadguide (not shown) reciprocably movable between adjacent bobbins. Becausethe threadcatching member is mounted closely adjacent to the bobbin endlocated more closely to the previously filled bobbin and the bristles 41extend at least to the outer diametral extent of the empty bobbin, abight of the transferred thread portion will engage the bristles and becaught thereby. Since brush 4,41 rotates with the bobbin, the threadwill be held stationary relative to a point on the bobbin periphery, sothat the next following thread portion will begin winding onto thebobbin in response to bobbin rotation effected by roller 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, after the bobbin is filled to form a spool 6 ofthread, the bobbin can be slid axially from the carrier, the interior ofthe hollow bobbin dragging or 42, to reduce automatically the effectivebrush diameter, and permit easy bobbin removal. The resilience of thebristles will cause them to resume their normal positions in planestransversely of the brush axis when the bobbin and its dragging force onthe bobbin bristles are removed. Similarly, an empty bobbin is placed onthe carrier by sliding it axially across the bristles and therebybending such bristles in the direction opposite that shown in FIG. 4.

The resilient portion of the thread-catching member may be a resilienthollow annular ring 7, shown in FIG. as having a U-shaped cross sectionthe closed bottom of which projects outwardly from core 8. The ring hasa plurality of apertures 71 in its closed bottom. The core includes apassage 81 of T-shaped cross section, connecting the hollow of ring 7with a bore 12 in the carrier 11. Bore 12 is connected to a suctionsource to draw air inward through apertures 71. The inward airstreamcreated thereby will pull and hold an adjacent thread bight intoengagement with ring 7. As shown in FIG. 5, core 8 has a projectingportion forming a plug receivable in a complemental socket in the end ofcarrier 11.

As previously described in connection with the brush type ofthread-catching member, a full bobbin can be doffed and an empty oneplaced on the bobbin carrier 11 without removing member 7,8 because ring7 is made of resilient material readily defonnable by the axial forceexerted by a bobbin core wall, so that the diameter of thethread-catching member is reduced while such force is applied. After theaxial force is relieved, ring 7 resiliently resumes its normal positionshown in FIG. 5, so that the diameter of the threadcatching member againequals or exceeds the bobbin diameter.

In some installations, such as that represented by FIG. 6, frames 9 havecarrier members 91,92 forming end plugs for opposite ends of a bobbin 2.In this installation, bobbins doffed and placed in the frame withoutbeing slid over the thread-catching member. In such installations, thebristles 43 on a brush core 40, or an annular ring such as shown in FIG.5, may have a shorter thread-catching member. It is, of course,essential, that the outside diameter be at least as great as that of thebobbin 2, as previously described,- so that a thread portion will beautomatically received by the threadcatching member during thethread-transferring operation to effect winding of thread onto thebobbin immediately upon engagement of a thread portion with the emptybobbin surface.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for continuous winding of thread onto rotatable bobbinshaving transfer means for transferring a thread portion between a filledbobbin and an empty bobbin, said bobbins being arranged in end-toendspaced relationship, comprising a cantilever bobbin carrier having afree end, a bobbin having a carrierreceiving hollow therethrough andmountable on and demountable from said carrier by movement over saidfree end, and a thread-catching member mounted on said bobbin carrierfree end adjacent to and axially aligned with a bobbin end, rotatableconjointly with said bobbin, and including a core having an extent in adiametral plane of said bobbin less than the diametral extent of saidbobbin hollow and annular resilient thread-engaging means carried bysaid core, said resilient thread-engaging means having an outsidediameter at least as great as the outside diameter of the adjacentbobbin end which diameter is resiliently changeable in response tomovement of said bobbin over said threadcatching member.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, in which the annularthread-engaging means is a ring of bristles having roots mounted in thecore.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, in which the bristles projectradially outward from the axis of the thread-catching member. 4. Theapparatus defined in claim 2, in which the bristles are inclinedrelative to radii from the axis of the thread-catching member, thebristle tips extending forward of such radii in the direction ofrotation.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, in which the re silientthread-engaging means is a hollow annular ring having a plurality ofapertures through its periphery, and suction means communicable with thering hollow.

bobbin carrier free end.

1. Apparatus for continuous winding of thread onto rotatable bobbinshaving transfer means for transferring a thread portion between a filledbobbin and an empty bobbin, said bobbins being arranged in end-to-endspaced relationship, comprising a cantilever bobbin carrier having afree end, a bobbin having a carrier-receiving hollow therethrough andmountable on and demountable from said carrier by movement over saidfree end, and a thread-catching member mounted on said bobbin carrierfree end adjacent to and axially aligned with a bobbin end, rotatableconjointly with said bobbin, and including a core having an extent in adiametral plane of said bobbin less than the diametral extent of saidbobbin hollow and annular resilient thread-engaging means carried bysaid core, said resilient thread-engaging means having an outsidediameter at least as great as the outside diameter of the adjacentbobbin end which diameter is resiliently changeable in response tomovement of said bobbin over said thread-catching member.
 2. Theapparatus defined in claim 1, in which the annular thread-engaging meansis a ring of bristles having roots mounted in the core.
 3. The apparatusdefined in claim 2, in which the bristles project radially outward fromthe axis of the thread-catching member.
 4. The apparatus defined inclaim 2, in which the bristles are inclined relative to radii from theaxis of the thread-catching member, the bristle tips extending forwardof such radii in the direction of rotation.
 5. The apparatus defined inclaim 1, in which the resilient thread-engaging means is a hollowannular ring having a plurality of apertures through its periphery, andsuction means communicable with the ring hollow.
 6. The apparatusdefined in claim 1, in which the thread-catching member is releasiblymounted on the bobbin carrier free end.